Impavidus
by sLiCeOfLiFe
Summary: In a place where the color white defines and confines it's occupants, she must fight through the trials and tribulations of forcefully being turned into a science experiment by a man whose morals are far different than her own. Genetics are altered, lines are crossed, bonds are formed. She must learn to accept her fate as an experiment or lose herself to insanity. SakuraMulti. AU.
1. Prologue

-xxx-

"_In this unforgiving and unknown world where there is nothing but the brightest white light, is it too much to ask for a little bit of darkness?"_

_-xxx-_

Prologue

All I could remember was the color white. It's the color that filled my vision day in and day out; the walls, the floor, the ceilings, my clothes. Everything was this stark white. Even my skin was the fairest of whites, which had come to disgust me at a point because I felt like I was blending into the rest of my surrounding. It was like my body was coming to the realization that I belonged here in this world of colorless inhumanity.

I don't belong here. I was forced to be here. Taken from wherever I was before, now I can't even remember. I was turned into a science experiment by a man who created the classification of being psychotically disturbed. My body was no longer a temple, but instead it was a test subject, a lab rat, an incubus for a virus that altered the very thing that made me human. I could only assume the worst. I knew my genetic make-up had been altered, but I no longer knew to what extent. I was a scientific pet; a toy that had been abused to the point of breaking to fulfill the methodical needs of a man who sought after nothing more than to cruelly experiment on me.

I didn't cry anymore. I _couldn't_ cry anymore. Not only because there was no more pity left in the form that I called my body, but I was filled with so many drugs to moderate my previously unpredictable and fiery personality that I lost all ability to do anything besides blankly stare at the color white. The color that was supposed to symbolize purity and hope, but now only showed madness and the blank slate that was my spirit. My soul was imprisoned in my own body, subjected to the nothingness that followed. I didn't know who I was anymore. Being under the influence of drugs that held back my true nature, I didn't really know how to live anymore. My mind new exactly what I wanted to be, but my body wouldn't allow it.

The only interactions I was left with were with my own mind, a lab rat named Kabuto, and the man who made me what I am; Orochimaru. I only had the_ pleasure_ of seeing Orochimaru every so often, but Kabuto I unfortunately saw on a daily basis.

He would come in each morning and greet me with a sickening smile as he stuck the syringe full of body numbing drugs into my system. He would continue to smile as he spoke sweet nothings into my ear and stroked my cheek, or my arm, sometimes if he was feeling daring he would run his fingers down the pale skin of my legs. He was infatuated with me, or at least with the idea of something to enjoy, that much was obvious. And just hearing his voice or simply looking at him disgusted me. He knew that without the drugs running through my veins, I would have sent a bruising punch to his gut rendering him to his knees and then I would do who knows what to survive. But I couldn't, and he took advantage of that.

Each day when Kabuto would come in, he would run tests. On my blood, on my heart, on my muscles, anything he felt that would be of viable importance. He would stick needles in me, send shock waves through my system, attach wires to my head, and all the while, I lay in utter silence but on the inside, the pain is making me scream.

"I know it hurts, _Sakura-chan_," Kabuto would say. Always referring to me in such a revoltingly familiar fashion, when he never earned that right, "But I am only looking out for your best interest at heart."

I always want to scream at him, punch him, and spit in his face; anything to tell him otherwise. But I can't. So I lay there in silence, my eyes holding nothing but defiance as my body is abused as a test subject by the lowest people I believe to exist in this world.

On the off days in which I am to be seen by Orochimaru, I am transported elsewhere. And since I cannot be trusted in my moving state, I am rolled down in my bed to his laboratory. When I am met with his form, taking in his sickening pale skin, lanky black hair, and unimaginably pointed grin, he greets me like I'm a princess; asking me how I've been, how I'm feeling. Not that I can respond, so he simply plays with a lock of my pink hair and tells me how important I am to him. He says that I am one of his most prized possessions, which makes me think that there are more people just like me here in this facility of never ending white.

Most days, Orochimaru runs similar tests like the ones that Kabuto runs, but then there are days where he is more adventurous. He will pump enough antidotes into my veins to outweigh some of the toxins that Kabuto has become so fond of injecting me with over time. I am truly surprised that I have not overdosed on the amount of drugs in my system. I am given enough control over my body to sit up and display basic motor skills although my voice is still given no power. Orochimaru will then do a variety of different things; electrocute me, burn me, cut open my skin, anything that would cause damage to my being. You may find this absolutely cruel and sadistic, which is partially true. It is. And I do feel the pain, but not for very long. Because the gift, as Orochimaru refers to it as, that he has neither rewarded me with or condemned me with, saves me from the pain.

Along the way in this asylum of nothing but white, I have been given the power of healing. No matter what that man does to me, my body will only continue to be resilient. I will heal myself and silently ask with my newly untarnished skin for another lashing. Because I can't help it and I must serve the purpose that has been forced upon me.

"I have truly outdone myself with you, _Sakura-chan," _Orochimaru will hiss with pure delight as he watches my wounds heal with ease and any sign of pain I held leaves my normally void features. He strokes my cheek with no intended emotion as he stares into my once fierce emerald eyes. His stomach-turning molten gold irises alert me that he knows of the emotional volcanic eruption oozing from the very pores of my being. He smiles his familiar wide grin as he sweeps his thumb over my lower lip. "I wonder how far you can truly push your gift."

I sit ideally and wait for more damage to be done to my skin, or for Kabuto to deem it the opportune moment to re-inject my veins with his all too familiar poison, but Orochimaru continues to stare into my eyes leaving me nothing to do but return his stare with my glazed over orbs. "I wish you weren't so hostile, Sakura-_chan_," he finally retorts as he backed away from me and crossed his arms over his chest, creasing his white lab coat as he inspects me. "For someone who has the warm and enticing gift of rejuvenation, you have so much pent up_ rage_."

If I could scream, punch, kick, or even glare at him, I would have in that moment. And he knew it. So he smiles at me once more just to irk me further. "Your emotions have always been breathtaking, but your hate prevents your gift the room it requires to grow into something more powerful," he tells me as he signals to Kabuto who brings over a newly filled syringe. I inwardly whimper at the minuscule freedom I have as it will soon be extinguished from the liquid forcing its way through my limbs. He pushes the needle into my arm which is now bruising from the onslaught of medications. I can't even release the gasp of pain that echoes in my head. My body loses its equilibrium as I begin to fall back. Kabuto catches me effortlessly and cradles my head as he lays me down gently onto my lab table.

I hate the feeling of his offending limbs on my body. They linger as they caress my hair. _I hate it_.

"I hope that we can get past this soon, Sakura-chan," Orochimaru speaks up again. I can't look toward him but I know he is lingering near the doorway. "How shameful would it be for you to hit a wall in your usefulness? I would hate to be wasteful of something so beautiful."

I hear his retreating footsteps echo off the walls in the outside hallway. I know that the underlying threat in the air is serious, but I don't know which is more important; my life, or my sanity?

"You know he's right, Sakura-chan," Kabuto finally tells me as his pale hands brush through my obnoxiously colored locks. "I could give your body back to you if you only would control yourself. I don't like treating you like a rabid animal."

I inwardly scoff at the man's comment. He enjoys having control over me and he knows it. As if he can read my thoughts, he replies, "I prefer you when you have that familiar fire in your eyes. Please don't make me extinguish it."

More threats. Not surprising at all. They want me to control myself only to see how far they can push me with the power they have forced into my soul. But they can't do this when I am under so many drugs that a corpse is livelier than I am.

"We will try again, Sakura-chan," he tells me simply as his nimble fingers sensitize over the contours of my face. "I hope that you will look past your hatred and towards how remarkable you could be if you let us help you."

I tune him out and let him continue caressing me. He knows I harbor no feelings that one would consider positive towards the likes of him. In my comatose state, he deludes that I do hold these feelings so he continues to whisper sweet words and promises of happiness when I know that his words are nothing but lies covered in the sweetest sugar. Their crystallized edges would cut my tongue if I accepted them, so I don't. Because I'm more intelligent than that.

But I can't help but wonder; is my only purpose to be used a science experiment, or is there more to this life than what I have been led to believe?

Are there others like me here? Or am I forced to be alone in this world of white with only Kabuto, Orochimaru, and my thoughts for company?

If I do decide to cooperate, am I condemning myself further?

I didn't have the answers to these questions now, but I would if I allowed myself to control the hate that wanted nothing more than to stab Kabuto with one of his own numbing concoctions, or burn Orochimaru and see how much he enjoys the searing pain of his skin withering away from the rest of his body. Or I could continue to fight back and let them end my life. At least I would be at peace and away from the many walls of white.

"Tomorrow, _Sakura-chan_," Kabuto whispers into my ear as he daringly places his cold lips against my temple in one of his demented signs of affection. "We will try again tomorrow. _Please_ work with us. The last thing I want for you to is to be your own demise."

With one last soft stroke down the side of my thin face, he leaves and locks the door behind him. Not that I'd be able to escape if I tried. I am now left with my thoughts and the only other thing I can see in the room; the color white.

-xxx-

Author's Note: So a new multi-chapter story coming into the world of FanFiction from yours truly! I am very excited about this story. This first chapter was very dark and it was meant to be that way. I mean consider that she is one of Orochimaru's lab rats. Would you enjoy that? I wouldn't think so. This will be a SakuraxMulti story just like the majority of my stories, because I don't like having to pick just one guy when there are so many great choices out there. The next chapter will introduce more characters so try not to be too upset with what you got in this little intro. This is going to be a slightly dark story with inner character struggles, violence, possible gore, etc. But there will also be a large variety of characters and of course, there will be romance. Duh. It's what I do. I hope you all enjoyed this enough to want to read more in the near future.

Side note: The title of this story, _Impavidus_, translates from Latin to mean fearless.

Please review and tell me what you think!


	2. Awakening

Recap:

"_Tomorrow, _Sakura-chan_," Kabuto whispers into my ear as he daringly places his cold lips against my temple in one of his demented signs of affection. "We will try again tomorrow. _Please_ work with us. The last thing I want for you to is to be your own demise."_

_With one last soft stroke down the side of my thin face, he leaves and locks the door behind him. Not that I'd be able to escape if I tried. I am now left with my thoughts and the only other thing I can see in the room; the color white. _

-xxx-

"_She is a light in the darkness."_

"_True. But do we really need more light?"_

-xxx-

Ch.2 Awakening

I woke up the next morning with Kabuto running his offensive limbs over my ghostly pale skin. He bids me a sweet good morning with his usual smile and I wish to roll my eyes in disgust and slap him hard enough to knock his pearly white teeth out of his mouth. He goes through his normal process by checking my blood pressure, temperature, muscle definition, which has severely decreased because of my immobile state, and a few other essential statistics.

"The dose I gave you yesterday was slightly larger, as you may have noticed, which doesn't require me to re-administer any," he spoke as he looked over me and moved closer. "But I will if I need too, Sakura-chan. We are going to see Orochimaru and take you off these medications. If you can control yourself through the session, we shall see if you can remain without them."

I wanted to sneer in response. They wanted me to be a good little girl and if I did as they asked, I could be taken out of my timeout. I still haven't decided whether I am going to try and kill them or not so my decision will remain up in the air. I'm quite interested to see how the two of them will respond to me being free again. I hope Kabuto is smart enough to stay at least ten feet away from me at all times given that he would like parts of his male anatomy to stay intact.

Seeming content with the time he had given me to consider his words, he unlocked the wheels of the lab table I was on and began rolling me down to my least favorite place. When we arrived, Orochimaru was no where in sight. Kabuto position my bed in its normal vertical position against the wall with my feet closer to the door. He came over and put a fluid IV into my inner elbow to rejuvenate my system so that I would be able to work more than usual. He came back over again with a newly filled syringe and if I would have had control over my body, I would have flinched.

"This will counteract the drugs in your system," Kabuto explained as he pushed the needle into my other arm. "It will take a minute or two for you to feel the effects. Trust me when I say you will know when it takes effect."

I began to feel dizzy when my eyelids slid shut. I heard someone else come into the room but I wouldn't focus as I could only hear the thoughts in my own head.

_-Normal POV-_

Kabuto watched as the pink haired girl he had grown so attached to slide her eyes shut. He was truly interested to see how she would react when she was given her freedom once more. He heard footsteps approaching the room and expected to find Orochimaru but instead was greeted with the sight of someone else.

"Sasuke-kun," Kabuto greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" he questioned as he raised a silver eyebrow at the dark haired male that entered the room.

The handsome male gave no emotional response as he simply swept the room for the one he was looking for. "Where is Orochimaru?"

Kabuto watched as his gaze transfixed on the unaware female in the room. He knew he had never seen her before and was taking in her appearance. He felt a quiet sting of jealousy spike through his system but pushed it away and presented Sasuke with a fake smile. "He should be here momentarily. What can we help you with, Sasuke-kun?"

The dark haired male let his eyes take in the girl on the table. He could tell she was conscious but his intricate vision allowed him to notice things that would go unnoticed to most who took in the sight; the sweat forming on her brow, the frail limbs that she called arms and legs, the thinness of her facial features, and the circles under her eyes from lack of proper care. It was evident that she had been locked away and most likely drugged for a prolonged period of time. She was wearing a simple medical gown that was almost as pale as the rest of her. The unique color of her hair looked much duller than it should, and although he knew she had naturally pale skin, what she was sporting now was just unhealthy.

"Who is she?" Sasuke finally spoke up again, ignoring Kabuto's previous statement and keeping his eyes on the unfamiliar female in lackluster condition.

Kabuto kept his smile firmly in place, "No one important, Sasuke-kun."

"Ah ah, Kabuto," tisked the madman entering the room. "Such harsh words spoken of my _darling_, Sakura-chan. You know she is one of my absolute favorites and she's also close enough to hear your cruel words. I'm sure she'll have some colorful words for us momentarily."

As if on cue, the female's eyes shot open widely. Her plump lips parted as she desperately sucked in a fresh breath to fill her previously denied senses. Her nimble fingers curled and clenched around the fabric under her with her new found freedom. The muscles under her skin stretched out the stiffness within them as her toes curled with the pleasure of movement. She rolled her head back onto the table and arched her back in the process. The freedom of controlling her senses once more was simply breathtaking. Her emerald eyes were readjusting to the light around her as small tears pricked the corners of her orbs. Her panting filled the air around them as she started to regain normal feeling in the rest of her limbs.

Feeling as though she was steady enough, she held the sheet under her hard enough to pull her upper-half off the table and into a sitting position. Her eyes slid shut once more as her lips remained parted to suck in the fresh air around her, hands still clenching the sheet. Rolling her neck from one side to the other, she listened to the satisfying cracks that followed the turning vertebras. She turned herself to the side of the bed and swung her legs over the edge, rotating her ankles and stretching out her calves. Clasping her delicate hands together, she brought them out horizontally in front of her chest and twisted the knots out of her tight muscles letting out a blissful sigh in response.

"Ahhh, Sakura-chan," Orochimaru greeted as he slowly moved closer to her rousing form, "So nice to have you with us today."

Her lips clasped closed more tightly than usual as her eyes remained shut and calming inhales through her nose presumably to keep her temper in check. She took one hand and ran it through her dull guava colored tresses in order to manage their lack of care as much as she could.

"_Sakura-chan_," Orochimaru called out to her once more and she took in one last temper reducing breath before she opened her avocado colored eyes and started at the black haired mad scientist that was now standing not too far in front of her. There was so much pent up anger in her system that she was truly trying her hardest to contain her hate. She took on biting the inside of her delicate cheek to suppress her words just like her hands balled into fists at her side to control the blows she so desperately wanted to throw. Her flesh colored lips pursed as one of her pink brows raised in response to his calls.

"Are you planning on cooperating with us today, my dear?" the man asked as he took a daring step closer. He knew that she harbored no positive feelings toward him and that she was more than capable of attacking him on the spot, but he felt that she may have found her will to live in the white prison she had been forced into. The female didn't reply as her attention was drawn to the damaged vein canal in her arm that had been receiving an onslaught of medication longer than she cared to remember. Finally recalling the IV in her inner arm, she kept her gaze locked on Orochimaru as she ripped it from her body. No one in the room made a move to stop her as the raven haired doctor smirked at her brash behavior.

The pain was tolerable compared to what she was used to from the two familiar men in the room. As per usual, the hole in her arm began to heal itself in only a matter of seconds. She couldn't bring herself to watch the phenomenon unfold as her skin effortlessly knit back together cell by cell.

The new male in the room watched with peaked interest. His red eyes narrowed at the miracle being performed by the fragile pink haired female in front of them. He assumed she must have had a powerful gift to be considered a favorite in the eyes of Orochimaru, but he had never seen anything like it. Her skin healed without any medications or assistance. It simply healed her from the inside out.

"Must you be so impetuous, Sakura-chan?" Orochimaru questioned as he moved closer to her form. He reached out towards her arm, but she was quicker as she grabbed his pale wrist in as tight of a grip that she could muster in her weak limbs. Kabuto was immediately on guard as he moved towards the scene only to be waved back by his boss. She inwardly smirked at the skills she was pleased she still possessed.

"Don't test me limits, _Orochimaru_," she hissed with pure distain as she gripped his wrist tighter in warning. Her voice was dry from lack of use which gave her voice more edge as her voice chords scratched. "I may just _snap_."

The madman chuckled in reply as his other hand moved to cover hers on his offending wrist. "I have missed your spark, pet. I look forward to working with you once again."

She growled with pure hostility in response as she threw his hand off of her successfully releasing her hold on his wrist. The feelings of his unpleasantly cold skin disgusted her to the core. Her emerald orbs were held in a menacing glare as Orochimaru's smirking figure turned to the unfamiliar male in the room. "Sasuke-kun," he greeted with sickening pleasure towards the dark haired male. Any stranger could identify to positive reaction the man had to the other male's appearance. "What is the reason for your company in my laboratory? I didn't think we had an appointment today."

Sasuke tore his gaze away from the pinkette to look at the golden eyed man. He held up his forearm which was sporting a fresh wound. The red liquid dripped from his damaged flesh and landed on the white floor. The colors contrasted each other so drastically like ink on paper. Sakura gazed at the wound with interest being enthralled in damage done to someone other than herself. The energy in her system was drawn to the damage, but she wouldn't dare act on it.

"Oh dear, what have you done this time?"

He simply replied with a name she didn't recognize. She kept feeling the need to look at his wound. The energy within her was pulling at her fingers, pulsing desperately to release. As if the new man in the room could sense her thoughts, he turned his attention back to her. She noticed the odd red color of his eyes and the way they turned slightly as he gazed at her. Orochimaru noticed the shift in attention and turned towards Sakura.

He hummed to himself as and idea rose in to his mind. "I'd like to try something, Sakura-chan. Sasuke-kun, come with me."

The two men moved slowly over towards the pink haired female's form. She tensed under their attention as her fingers clenched into the sheet underneath her. The closer Orochimaru befell on her form the more narrow her eyes became. Sasuke noticed that the female's delicate knuckles were turning white from her grip. She must have been through a lot to contain so much revulsion in her elfin form.

"I want you to heal him, Sakura-chan."

The female in question only scoffed in reply as she rolled her irises slightly, "You are well informed that I can only heal myself, or have you forgotten all of the times I've had to heal myself after you mercilessly_ tortured_ me in this hell hole."

The man only smirked at her pure hostility towards him. "A necessity to the cause, my dear Sakura-chan. Don't make me ask you again."

Sakura growled in response as her temper started to leak from its cage. "How the _fuck_ am I suppose to do that when I've never done it before? You can't just expect me to do something that's not within my means!"

"If I believed you to be at the limit of your use, Sakura, I would have rid myself of you long ago," he explained as his tone lost its usual playful edge. "Take the energy that you used to heal yourself, and give it to Sasuke. I can feel the energy jumping out of your system, just as Sasuke can at this point."

Sakura slid her eyes over to the handsome dark haired male that was in front of her. With his close proximity, she was able to really divulge his outer shell. He had dark hair that sported longer bangs in the front with spikes in the back. His skin was almost as pale as hers but in a healthier way. His clothes were simple in dark colors, but what stood out the most were his blood eyes that seemed to stare straight into her very being. Seeing that his eyes weren't natural, she assumed that they must be a part of his 'gift' given to him by Orochimaru. She wondered what exactly they could do.

Letting out a breath to regain control over her wild emotions, she held out a hand signaling for the boy named Sasuke to give her his arm. She noticed that he was giving her a look of apprehension and simply rolled her eyes in an irritated response. She knew that there was a lingering threat on her life in the air made by Orochimaru. It stated that she needed to heal Sasuke's arm, or her usefulness was at its end. And with her recent defiance, she knew her lenience had just about expired.

She grabbed his arm and pulled it towards her knowing that he was fighting with himself to allow her to touch him. Her breathing was steady and she closed her eyes while her dexterous fingers ghosted over his fresh wound. She felt the width of the cut and realized that it wasn't too serious; four and a half inches in length and less than an inch in width. It didn't even matter that his blood was now beginning to coat the tips of her fingers as she only continued to feel out the superficial wound. The female let out one final deep breath as she clenched her eyes shut in concentration. She could feel the flow of her own energy she normally used to heal only herself, travel to her fingertips.

Sakura felt Sasuke's form tense when her energy met his wound. She was sure the experience was a shock to anyone besides herself so she didn't let it faze her as she continued. Feeling the flayed edges of his skin, the idea of knitting his flesh back together seemed to be the most plausible in her mind. As the idea played out through her hands and across Sasuke's damaged skin, the result was instantaneous. If her eyes would have been exposed, she would have seen the brief shock cross the features of the men in the room as the younger male's skin was woven back to its original shaping.

Pale hands became unstable as the little amount of energy she had in her was leaving to heal the form before her. Her breaths were shorter as the wound became smaller in appearance. Her head was spinning with dizziness as her body began to feel heavy, like Kabuto's sinful drugs found their way back into her abused system and robbed her of any power. No longer feeling the damage on the male's skin, she removed her hand and opened her heavy eyes to view her work.

Letting out a sound that sounded something like a light laugh, she whispered, "Well will ya look at that?"

And suddenly, she was falling into unconsciousness. Her upper body fell forward into the newly healed arms of Sasuke. Effortlessly catching her unconscious form, he could only look down at her head of pink hair in amazement. This woman had an amazing ability like none he'd ever seen. For the safety of her being, he picked her up like a bride to be and held her against his chest, still looking down at her wonder. Her body was much lighter than he was expecting as she looked so small in his arms. To think that a woman so petite could hold a power so amazing.

"She's just full of surprises now, isn't she?" Orochimaru spoke up as his smiled widened more than thought to be humanly possible. He picked up a few papers as he turned towards the exit of the examination room. "Kabuto," he addressed, pulling the white haired man's attention away from the cataleptic pinkette. "Bring Sakura-chan back to her room. There's no need for anymore medication. It seems she has found the will to cooperate with us; for now at least."

"Yes, sir," Kabuto replied as he pushed the bridge of his glasses up his nose, moving towards Sasuke who was still holding the woman in question close to his chest, staring down at her serene form. "Sasuke-kun," Kabuto's voice was lower than usual as he approached closer towards the other male. "I need to take her."

Sasuke didn't seem to hear him at first as his attention remained with the unfamiliar woman who could work medical miracles. Kabuto noticed this to his displeasure and called out his name once more with further authority. The ink haired male snapped his attention to the medical assistant and gave him an uninterested glare. Finally coming to terms with the instructions given, Sasuke laid the woman down on the lab table from which he found her with such gentleness that surprised the man with the circular frames. Giving the pink haired girl one final glance over, the quiet male left the lab leaving Kabuto alone with his favorite patient.

He moved over towards her comatose form and brushed a few stubborn locks away from her angelic features. He let out a simple sigh as his thumb ran across her cheek, "Perhaps keeping you locked away was in my best interest. You shall not go unnoticed for long."

-xxx-

When her eyes opened next, she still felt incredibly exhausted. She laid docile as she adjusted to the feeling of her body being under her control once more. Memories flashed back in her mind as she recalled what she was waking up from and what exactly she had done. She was amazed. Holding her hands up to her vision, she stared at them and prodded the power they truly held.

As she lay still reminiscing, she realized that whatever she was laying on was not as uncomfortable as she was used to. Looking down, she realized she was in a bed. Confused, she sat up and looked around. It seemed that she had been moved somewhere other than the white-walled lab she had become accustomed to. Hearing a noise from behind her, she turned around to find the door to her new room opening. As she suspected, her white haired keeper walked through the door. He seemed to have a knack for knowing the exact time she would return to the conscious world.

"Hello again, Sakura-chan," he greeted as he held a clipboard in his grasp. "How did you sleep?"

The female groaned in reply as she ran a hand through her unique colored tresses. His voice only seemed to bring out the worst in her. "How long was I out?" she inquired as she ignored his own question.

"About eighteen hours, give or take," Kabuto replied plainly as he shut the door and locked in behind him before moving towards the woman occupying the bed. "The strain you put on your body was the most it's endured in a very long time. It's understandable that you fell unconscious."

Sakura moved back to lean on the headboard of her bed as her fingers moved to massage her pounding temples. "Please stop talking. Your voice makes being around you all the more painful on my delicate psyche."

She knew that her snarky comment would provide amusement for the assistant. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she leaned her forehead against her legs. "Is there a reason that you're here or are you finally going to let me knock some teeth out of your mouth?"

"Temper, Sakura-chan," he retorted as he moved to her bedside. "Orochimaru has requested your presence. Please try and remember your position here. I'd hate to have to teach you a lesson yet again."

Sakura moved with whatever speed she could muster to strike Kabuto but in her weakened state, and Kabuto's familiarity with her violence, he was quicker. He snatched her wrist in one hand with lightening speed as he dropped his clip board. She tried to strike at him with her other limb but he predicted her movements and clamped a hand on the other offending fist. Her legs flailed out in a last effort but the medical maniac was quicker as he jumped her form and pinned her down onto her bed. She struggled violently beneath him and let out a menacing growl at his closeness. He moved one of her wrists towards his other to shift the hold into one hand. She heard him shuffle through his pocket as she tried to wriggle free from his grasp in one last effort but froze when he swung back around with a freshly filled needle now aimed at a prominent vein in her neck.

Her throat tightened to hold in her whimper as she craned away from the dangerous drug. Tears of panic sprung to meet the corners of her eyes as she glanced up into Kabuto's menacing orbs. In this moment, she was afraid of him.

"_Sakura_," he called out in a dangerous, sing-song voice. The undertone sent chills right to the marrow of her bones. It felt as though the drug barbed at her neck had already conducted a hostile takeover on her veins. "I will _not_ tolerate this behavior from you."

The feeling of his knees on either side of her thighs caging her in was tight. He clamped them together so that she had no hope of escape from below his overpowering form. Pain was consuming her wrists as his hand pressed right to her bones, undoubtedly leaving harsh bruises.

She couldn't hold in the whimper that escaped her lips when the man above her began dragging the tip of the syringe along the column of her neck. Any sudden movement on her part would allow it entry to her skin. "I do enjoy being able to hear your voice and see those expressive emotions behind your eyes again, _Sakura-chan_," the medic's voice drawled out as he carefully watched his movements as he let the point of his syringe claim the surface of her pale skin. "But perhaps I should just put you back under again and keep you to myself. It would be safer that way; for you and for me."

Sakura wanted to growl in response but she feared that the simple vibration would allow the needle the access it needed to her thin skin. Kabuto's face became dangerously close as the tip of his nose grazed her own and his lips were much closer than she could ever have wanted. He smelled of bleach and the stale odor of rubber gloves. It was invasive to her nostrils as she wanted to move herself as far away from him as physically possible.

"I could have you to myself," he whispered against her lips as his nose ran up the bridge of hers in a demented sign of affection. "My very own medical miracle. I would take such good care of you. I would give you all of my love and attention because you deserve it."

This time, Sakura did let out a feral growl which only seemed to excite Kabuto further as she watched his eyes light up. "Get…the _fuck_…off me. Right…_now_."

The madman chuckled deep enough for her to feel the vibrations throughout her body. Sakura felt a crack in the barrier that was keeping her temper in check. Her voice grew dark and dangerous. "Get the _fuck_ off me before I _kill_ you."

His lips only pulled further across his face as the sinister smirk increased. "As if you could, Sakura-chan. As if you could. I'll give you a minute to compose yourself. An escort will be waiting outside your room to take you down to the lab since I doubt you will be cooperating with me. Remember your place here, my dear. I'd hate to see your irrational decisions cost you your life."

He swiftly moved away from her, grabbing his clipboard off the floor, and exited her room. She stayed still on the bed. Pink locks sprawled around her as her breaths were heavy in her chest cavity. She hated the man. Possibly more than she hated Orochimaru. _Possibly_.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm her beating heart and excessively high temper, she pushed herself off of her bed and let her body adjust to her new position. Even though she had control over her body once more, she knew not to push herself too far. She was already exhausted from her scuffle with Kabuto. Looking down, she realized she was still sporting a standard issue medical smock. Luckily it was more of a dress instead of a gown that tied in the back. She noticed a small table in one corner and a dusty mirror in the opposite corner. Making her way toward the wall ornament, she swiped her hand across the dusty surface which broke away around her as she was greeted with her appearance again after who knows how long.

She noticed that her hair had grown much longer since she last remembered. It now reached her chest, though the color had grown duller. Her face had thinned considerably as time went on. True, she was not as young as she used to be. But she knew part of the reason was maturation while the other was simply malnutrition. She sighed softly as her finger ran across the circles under her eyes. To say she was a mess was an understatement. But that came with the territory of being a prisoner as long as her memory allowed her.

Running a hand through her malnourished tresses, she made her way towards the door and opened it slowly. Outside the door was a very large man with soft orange sherbet colored hair styled in long effortless spikes. He was almost twice her size in height and his muscles were clearly visible on all parts of his body. Obviously Kabuto picked someone he thought could handle her if she thought about trying anything.

"I suppose you're here to escort me to my prison," she commented quietly. The man simply nodded in reply as he began his decent down the long hallway. She couldn't tell if he was one of Orochimaru's patients or lackeys. Either way, it was welcomed to see faces other than those of Orochimaru and Kabuto. She began rubbing her uncomfortable wrists which drew his attention.

"Your wrists…" he mumbled almost inaudibly as his movements stopped and he stared down at the rapidly growing green and purple marks marring her pale skin. She was surprised by the gentle tone of his expected baritone voice that seemed to be underlying with a sense of concern. Taking note that his suspension indicated that he required an explanation she paused next to him and let out a soft sigh. She couldn't heal the bruises earlier because they hadn't formed but it was obvious that Kabuto's grip was tighter than she had anticipated.

"It's not a big deal," she brushed off his concern as she held one of her wrists to her chest and began to push healing energy into one of the damaged limbs. "Kabuto's an asshole. Nothing I can't handle though."

He gave her a stiff nod as he watched her bruises quickly disappear from sight. It seemed that he was not surprised that she possessed a gift, but it seemed he was surprised what exactly her gift was. Once she finished with the other wrist, she held out a hand towards the giant. "I'm Sakura by the way."

He stared at her previously injured limbs and found no further signs of bruising. Dark eyes widened slightly as his gaze moved to meet her own. He hesitantly took her hand which was swallowed by his own as he replied simply, "Jugo."

"Pleasure," she replied with a small smile as she continued down the hall as Jugo followed behind her. The male paused outside a room and opened the door, signaling her to go in. Taking in a breath she entered the room hearing Jugo shut the door behind her. Her eyes met those of Orochimaru who was standing with a smirk as he watched her form. Kabuto was further behind him with a similar look gracing his features.

"I heard that you and Kabuto got into a little _disagreement _earlier," the raven haired man began as he took a few steps towards her. "Is this true?"

"Perhaps if you hired better help who didn't hold unhealthy _obsessions_ over their patients, we wouldn't have had a _disagreement_, if that's what we are deciding to call it," she hissed with distain as she shot a fiery glare towards Kabuto's form hoping he would disintegrate on the spot.

"Now, now, Sakura-chan," Orochimaru tisked. "You cannot blame Kabuto for falling victim to your unpredictable wit and charm."

Sakura stayed silent for a few moments with a pink brow raised in the male's direction. "I'm sorry, were you saying something? I was picturing the many ways I hope for your deaths to play out.

Orochimaru's smirk remained intact as he hummed plainly in reply. He moved over to the door and opened it once more. It now revealed a blonde haired male waiting on the other side. He had tan skin and the brightest blue eyes she'd ever seen. His cheeks were scarred with what looked to be whiskers but she couldn't be too sure.

"You wanted something from me?" he questioned as he walked past the scientist and into the laboratory. His movement stopped when he spotted Sakura standing with a blank look crossing her features.

"She's gorgeous!" the tanned male finally replied as he swiftly moved over to Sakura's side with a now giant smile that flashed his perfectly pearly white teeth. "You never said there were hot babes back here!"

Sakura's brows raised in surprise to his blatant outburst and the lack of filter he seemed to possess. She watched as he stuck a hand towards her as his azure eyes brought their full attention to her form. "The name's Naruto! What's yours?"

"Sakura," she replied quietly as she wasn't used to seeing a genuine smile or someone who was just so happy. Her arm stretched to meet his but he quickly moved to meet her hand in greeting with exuberance. He turned back towards the other males in the room as he spoke, "So why do you bastards want me here?"

She decided in that moment that she liked Naruto. If he was comfortable enough in calling both of these men, that well deserved her hatred, bastards, then she knew they would be good friends. She watched as Orochimaru and Kabuto seemed to ignore the name calling as they moved closer to them. Sakura couldn't help but stiffen and Naruto seemed to notice.

"We require your assistance with Sakura-chan's special gift," the raven haired scientist retorted as he picked up a medical tool off of one of the nearby counters and moved closer to the duo. "She seems to learn best from…_practice_."

Sakura's body switched to full alert. Her hand shot out and grabbed Naruto's wrist without thinking, causing him to look towards the now panicked pinkette. "No," she whispered firmly, knowing what he had implied towards the blonde boy.

"Practice makes perfect, Sakura-chan," Orochimaru chided as he let out a loose chuckle that seemed to bounce around in her head. "How else are you going to learn if you don't gain the proper field work?"

She quickly moved in front of Naruto, blocking Orochimaru's path. "Don't touch him!" she demanded.

"Don't make things difficult, pet," the dark haired man in front of her commanded as he signaled towards Kabuto as he began to make his way over to the unfolding scene. This made Sakura take a step back closer to Naruto giving her the opportunity to feel the heat radiating from his form. "If you can do this, I know that you have more potential than you have let on. Do this, and you shall be granted more freedom. I know how much you desire that, Sakura."

"What's going on?" Naruto dumbly questioned as the only one who was illusive of the situation at hand.

"Don't fucking touch him!" she screamed in desperation as the two men were now mere feet away from her and she felt frantic tears reaching the corners of her eyes. Her breaths were coming out at a ragged pace as she backed up so she was pressed against Naruto's muscled chest. He seemed to realize her rising panic levels as he placed his hands on the outside of her arms in the hopes of comforting her in any way he could. He didn't know what else to do.

Orochimaru lunged forward and grabbed Sakura's arm. With powerful force he pulled her away from the blonde haired male. She let out a yell of protest as Orochimaru struggled with her. He eventually got his hands on the outside of her upper arms and pulled her back into his chest. His arms then quickly snaked around her upper body keeping her in a tight cage as Kabuto moved towards Naruto.

"No!" she screamed as she kicked her legs out trying to break free from her captor. She continued to growl and kick as she felt Orochimaru move his lips to her ear. "You're going to want to watch this, pet."

Kabuto took a medical tool, and cut Naruto right down his abdomen. The blonde let out a blood curdling scream in anguish as he fell to the floor, fresh red liquid pouring from his system contrasting the stark white floors. "_No!" _

"Try and save him, Sakura-chan," Orochimaru's hot breath whispered into her pink locks. "You're the only one who can."

She finally pushed away from him, as she knew he let her, and fell to the floor next to Naruto. She watched the blood pool around his body as his sounds of pain reached her ears. This was her fault. Her hands were shaking as she placed one on his face as the other hovered over his newly inflicted wound. "I'm so sorry, Naruto. So _so_ sorry. This is all my fault."

"Time is ticking," Kabuto's voice spoke up. "If you want to save him, you need to hurry. I believe I hit some vial vessels and perhaps some organs."

Sakura ignored the man as she concentrated her healing energy down through her arms and into her finger tips. Her hands were soaked with blood in a matter of seconds as she placed both of them over the wound. This was much more severe than the one she treated on the male named Sasuke previously. This one was much deeper and was hitting many more blood vessels. She also thought there was alternative interior bleeding, but she had no idea how to tell. "I have no idea what I'm doing!" she exclaimed allowed, directing it towards the pale man in charge. "You could have at least let me do proper research to understand exactly what it is I'm fixing!"

"As I mentioned before, my dear; practice makes perfect," Orochimaru replied as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched her work, not at all affected by the blood staining his floors.

"You fucks are _sick_! Absolutely _demented_!" Sakura cried out as she tried pouring more energy into Naruto system to stop a particularly fast bleeder. She felt the improvement with the healing she was providing but it was taking much longer than she had expected. Finding that she had to fix each smaller problem individually instead of overdosing his overall system, she could better assess the process. Sweat was forming across her brow as her expression was scrunched into pure concentration. It was her fault that Naruto was in this mess, literally, and she had to be the one to get hime out of it.

She felt a featherlike touch on her face and looked over to see Naruto giving her whatever smile he could muster, his hand caressing her face. The gesture was painfully sweet and shot determination through her like a speeding bullet. The gash in Naruto's abdomen was fading but she still couldn't properly mend a certain section without it reopening again. She was beginning to panic.

"I can't get this. I can't get this," she whispered harshly to herself as she tried to increase the amount of energy she was curing, only to find that it would cause he vision to blur. "Why isn't this working?!"

"Work from the inside out, Sakura-chan," Kabuto's voice carried over.

She decided to take his advice because things couldn't get any worse, or so she hoped. Finding that the inner portions of the wound took more time, she felt a similar feeling from the one she felt the last time she healed. Her vision was darkening, palms sweating, limbs shaking, dizziness was taking over. As all of this was happening, something amazing started to occur throughout Naruto's body. She felt his cells merge with her own energy as they sped up the process. It was as if his cells were radiating her gift.

If she would have seen Orochimaru, she would have noticed his smirk.

Her hands drew back as she sat back on the floor and watched as Naruto's body harnessed the energy that she has produced into his body and multiplied its effect. He was not healing without her help. She watched with awestruck eyes and parted lips. Her blood soaked hands were supporting her on the cold tiled floor. It then hit her why they had chosen Naruto.

Her temper flared as her attention refocused on the other men in the room, "You lied to me."

Orochimaru let out a short chuckle as he moved towards her, crouching down on the floor in front of her. She too exhausted to fight or even move away as he reached for her face that was now smeared with some of the blonde boy's blood. "We never lied to you, pet. Field experience is the best experience. And although you may believe I have no pedestal for life, you have wronged me again. The lives of my experiments are much more precious than my own."

He noticed her vision was waning as she stared into his deep snake like eyes. He let out another effortless laugh that seemed to send a cold chill down her spine. He ran a hand through her long pink tresses as he spoke. "You really have been sheltered, my dear Sakura-chan. I can assure you, you will learn new things here everyday. You may even learn to love it here."

"If you believe that, then you have wronged yourself again," she replied in a low whisper, playing on the words he had just spoken. "I will never love life that I live in a cage."

"Ah, but a cage is the safest place for you, pet. For birds whom are released from their cages do not seem to survive for long."

-xxx-

**Author's Note:** Wow I think I've joined the dark side or something. But I think I'll stay there for now. I'm really enjoying this process and the way this story in starting to unfold. I promised more men in this chapter and you were granted with three. In the next chapter you may find yourself overwhelmed with the amount of testosterone. Some food for thought, what do you think everyone's gift shall be? I already know but I'd like to see what you think. You may find that I surprise you.

So about the chapter, we have identified further that Orochimaru is crazy but Kabuto is taking that honor to a whole other level. Sasuke, Naruto, and Jugo were introduced and you learn a little about each one. We all know Naruto has an immediate love for almost everyone he meets. Sasuke and Jugo, they are a different story.

As always, tell me what you think. I always love to hear feedback. And I am also looking for a BETA of my own. I think it's about time to get one. If you know someone or are interested, let me know. Finding one is proving to be difficult. And if you need a BETA, I would love to help.

Please review!


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